


Loss

by NYWCgirl



Series: writer's month 2020 [20]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Amputation, Attempted Suicide, Dark, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Life changing injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:54:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26008342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Jack is medically discharged when he loses a leg by stepping on an IED. Turning in a bitter man he is an outcast from society.
Series: writer's month 2020 [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861096
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24
Collections: Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 11





	Loss

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is written to fill the ‘ostracized from society’ square on my H/C Bingo card.

Jack hates who he has become, a lowlife, a nobody. No sane person wants anything to do with him. He has turned into a bitter, sarcastic son of a bitch and he hates it,, but can´t help it. Ever since he stepped on an IED and woke up in Landstuhl, Germany, he felt betrayed.

Betrayed by his own body and mind. He should have paid better attention not to step on an IED. Betrayed by his EOD-nerd that couldn’t disarm the damn thing. Betrayed by the doctors who cut off his leg instead of trying to save it. Betrayed by the medical staff that made his life a living hell.

So no, he wasn´t the carefree Jack Dalton anymore. He was a bitter disabled war veteran. Nobody wants anything to do with him. If he goes into town, people walk around him with a big detour. He’s done. He takes his dad’s dog tags and kisses them before hanging them around his neck. He takes the gun he meticulously cleaned and prepared and puts it in his mouth. This is the best solution for everybody. He just has to pull the trigger.

But even now his body betrays him. His finger won’t move. Tears run down his face when he tosses the gun away in anger. He is such a failure.

When his phone rings, he picks it up, if he can’t off himself, he well better start living.

‘Jack?’

It takes him a moment to recognize the person on the other end.

‘Matty?’

‘Yeah, it’s me. How are you Jack?’

‘You really want me to answer that?’

‘I want you to be honest with me.’

He doesn´t know how she does it, but for some reason he never felt comfortable lying to her.

‘I’ve been better.’

‘Sounds more honest, but now how do you really feel?’

‘I feel like shit, OK? Nobody wants anything to do with me. Everybody always are full of themselves when they thank you for your service, but they won’t give you the light of day when you are grumpy and in pain. Nobody wants to know the hard reality of war.

‘Can we meet?’

‘I’m not good company Matty.’

‘I want you to clean yourself up and be ready to be picked up at seven.’

‘Yes ma’am.’

* * *

Exactly at seven a black SUV stops in front of his apartment. He takes his crutches and hobbles down. The driver waits for him to get in.

‘Good to see you Jack.’ Matty welcomes him.

‘Good to see you too. Where are we going?’

‘A friend of mine owns a restaurant and wants me to taste the new menu and I didn’t feel like this was a job I wanted to do by myself.’

Jack nods, it’s clear she is not telling the truth but she will come to the point when she is ready. He might as well enjoy the evening. He can’t remember the last time he was in a restaurant.

When they arrive, they are let to an easy access table with space for Jack’s crutches. A waiter comes to their table.

‘Can I bring you something to drink?’

‘Yes, two non-alcoholic aperitifs, please.’

The drinks are brought.

‘So let’s cut the crap. Why did you bring me here?’

‘I was informed about your situation and I am here to offer you a job.’

‘A job? You do realize I lost a leg, right?’

‘I do, so does that mean you can’t work anymore? I am in need of a trainer for my SWAT-teams. I don’t know anybody who is better with weapons and tactics. You have a great deal of experience that is going to waste.’

‘You’re serious?’

‘Have I ever been not serious with you?’

‘No. Well, in that case, I am game.’

‘Good, I will see you at this address at nine a.m. tormorrow.’

Matty hands him a card, ‘now, let’s enjoy our dinner, shall we?’

* * *

The following morning, Jack hobbles into the building.

‘Good morning Mister Dalton, Miss Webber is waiting for you in conference room Delta. It is to your left.’

‘Thank you.’

Jack walks into the room, greeting Matty.

‘Our HR-manager will join us for your contract, if that is alright?’

‘Of course.’

Matty calls the manager in.

‘So what alphabet agency is this?’

‘We are DXS, a covert agency. We have six SWAT-teams and fifty eight agents, working around the globe. I would like you to bring your experience into this agency.’

‘I can do that.’

‘I know you can. I believe you will make a valuable asset.’

A woman enters the room after a curtesy knock.

‘Good morning. I’m Francesca Hollow. I have your contract with me in duplicate.’

She hands him a binder and he looks up in surprise.

‘Well, most of it is standard disclaimers, social security, medical insurance, the usual. Please read through it. If you have any questions, call me.’

‘Where do I need to sign?’

‘Don’t you want to have a look at the paper work?’

‘I trust Matty.’

‘Alright then, paragraph on each page and a signature on the last page.’

Jack does it and the manager leaves with her copy.

Perfect, then there is one last thing. I want you to go to an appointment for a prosthetic.’

‘Matty, I have one, but…’

‘I don’t want to hear it. I made an appointment with dr. Macgyver at the bio mechatronics lab at MIT. You’re wheels up in thirty.’

* * *

Jack is dropped off in front of the building where he has the appointment with dr. Macgyver. He is not convinced this doctor will be able to help him., but he owes it to Matty and himself to give it a change.

He slowly makes his way into the building. A girl asks if she can help him so he tells her about the appointment.

‘Oh Mac is in the lab. Just go in, he doesn´t mind.’

‘Thanks.’

Jack enters the lab and this young guy is working on a prosthetic. He is probably one of the assistants.

‘Hi, I have an appointment with dr. Macgyer. Can you tell me where I can find him?’

The kid looks up and smiles, ‘you found him. Jack Dalton?’

‘You are Angus Macgyver?’

‘Correct, but you can call me Mac.’

‘Nice to meet you Mac. I was send by…’

‘Matty Webber, yes, she told me about your situation and I think I can help. Follow me to my office please.’

Jack takes a seat.

‘Do you mind if I take a look at your leg?’

‘No, of course not.’

Being in the military for so long has stripped Jack of all self-consciousness, so he drops his trousers. Mac comes closer and takes one of those ergonomic saddle chairs and rolls himself closer. It is only now that Mac is this close to him that he notices Mac has a prosthetic hand.

‘So tell me Jack, what do you do for a living?’

‘Well, I just accepted a job at DXS and since they send me here, I guess you are cleared, right?’

Mac looks up, his hair falling in his eyes, ‘right, I’m cleared. I work with a lot of vets and agents.’

‘What do you do at DXS?’

‘I train the SWAT-teams, I’m former Delta.’

‘Sniper?’

‘How can you tell?’

‘The callouses on your right hand. So what happened?’

‘Stepped on a pressure plate and my bomb nerd couldn’t disarm it.’

Jack can see something change in Mac’s face and demeanor but isn’t sure what he said to cause it.

‘And you?’

Mac looks at his hand, ‘I was one of those bomb nerds that couldn’t disarm an IED.’

Jack feels like shit, he didn’t mean, ‘I’m sorry man, I didn’t mean…’

‘It’s alright, we all do make mistakes, right? And I do know I look younger than my age.’

Jack nods, ‘so you got medically discharged?’

‘Yeah, and since I started MIT before joining the army, I figured I should head back there. I’m good in science and engineering so I decided to specialize in prosthetics. That and the fact that nobody could make me prosthetic that did what I wanted it to do.’

‘Still, you look too young to have such a career already.’

‘Yeah, I may have skipped a couple of years here and there.’

‘So you are some kind of wonder kid.’

‘Wunderkind, and no, I am not.’ He holds up the prosthetic up in emphasis.

‘Still damn impressive.’

‘Well, I can help you. So you will need to decide if you want my help our not.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I think I can give you the leg you want, but it will take time and commitment to go to physical therapy and to work with me to get it right.’

‘OK Mac, I am not gonna lie to you. I am not an easy man to get along with. I mean, where I live, they rather see me go than come. But if you are willing to work with me, I am willing to do the work as well.’

‘Well, that is settled than. Welcome to Boston.’ Matty arranged housing for you near campus.’

‘Wait, what?’

Mac smiles, ‘she probably knows you better than you think. I’m looking forward to work with you.’


End file.
